Ending an era

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An interview with Alison Dunlap, August 29, 2005

Three-time US National Cross Country Champion, 2001 World Mountain Bike Champion and two time Olympian Alison Dunlap (Luna Chix), ended her NORBA National Series career with a win in Mount Snow on Saturday. After a decade of racing during which she won a host of titles, the 36-year-old American left the sport in the best way possible. Cyclingnews' Steve Medcroft spoke with Dunlap about the end of an era and her plans for life after racing.

Dunlap has said she wanted a NORBA National win during her final season to feel like she was going out on top, and although she had podiumed in four 2005 NORBAs before Mount Snow, Dunlap had only this one last chance to win. The Luna Chix rider slipped into the lead ahead of Willow Koerber (Subaru - Gary Fisher) after the end of the first of three six-mile laps and never looked back, winning the race in front of family, friends, and the mountain-bike community she has given so much to in the past decade; a fitting finale to her NORBA Nationals career.

Dunlap is now one race away from ending a cycling career that started with road racing in the mid nineties. She took up cycling after being cut from her Division A Colorado College soccer team, and became the only female member of the school cycling club, winning the women’s National Road Racing Championship in her senior year.

After placing 37th at the Atlanta Olympic Road Race, she met professional mountain biker and future husband Greg Frozley and soon switched her attention to mountain biking. The rest, as they say, is history. Dunlap went on to win NORBAs, US National Championships, Pan Am Games, World Cups, a World Cup Championship and, ultimately, the 2001 UCI World Championships in Vail, Colorado.

Cyclingnews: Knowing that your career is coming to a close, how were you feeling coming into this weekend?

Alison Dunlap: I’ve been mentally getting ready all season for the day when I’m done so I’ve been sad at every race I do - I think about how I’m never going to do that one again or that I’m never going to be at Mount Snow again. Or last week, I was like "thank God, I’m never going to be in Snowshoe!" But at the same time it’s been really exciting to go do these races. So I would say that I was excited coming to Mount Snow but I’m definitely ready to be done with the season and done with my career.

CN: What’s been your motivation for training this year?

AD: Knowing that I’m going to retire. I have a lot of pride and it doesn’t matter what I’m doing at the end of the season - that’s the end of the season - I still have a full commitment ahead of me. I committed myself to riding on the Luna team and I don’t want to let my teammates down. I also have a commitment to myself; I don’t want to let myself down. I want to go out on top. The only way you do that is to train as hard as you always have.

CN: Congratulations on the Cross Country win at Mount Snow. How did that race unfold for you?

AD: It was a great day, it really was. I was motivated. I had like thirteen family members there. My goal for the season was to win a NORBA National and I hadn’t done it yet so I knew this was my last chance. I don’t want to say I was desperate but when you get to that point mentally, you can make your body do some amazing things.

CN: How did you find yourself in the front of the race?

AD: Willow Koerber led the first lap. My teammate, Shonny [Vanlandingham - Luna Chix], was probably ten seconds behind her. I was another fifteen seconds behind Shonny. I passed my teammate really close to the bottom of a long descent and then I caught Willow right by the feed zone heading into the second lap. Once you start passing people and get into the lead, you get a lot of adrenalin. This was the first time all year that I was actually leading a race and so I had a huge amount of adrenalin and felt like there was no way I was going to lose once I got the lead. It was one of those days where you don’t feel any pain. My legs felt strong, the body worked, I felt fast on the descents. I had fun and I haven’t had fun in a race in a long time because I’ve been suffering. I’ve been in the top five or top ten and I’ve been struggling mentally. It was nice to have it all come together.

CN: You don’t plan to race the World Championships after Mount Snow?

AD: Since I decided I wasn’t going to race the World Cup series this year, I didn’t want to go to Worlds just to say I’ve gone to Worlds. I’ve gone to something like 13 World Championships; I don’t need to just go and be pack fill. I want to go only if I can be competitive.

CN: So that means US Nationals in Mammoth will be your final race?

AD: Yeah. It’s crazy. One more to go.

CN: And then what? What’s life like after Mammoth?

AD: Life? Life’s so busy. We have our mountain bike camps (The Alison Dunlap Adventure Camps). We’re running a camp in Moab in October. I have a trip to visit the in-laws in November. I think in the big picture though, we’re gong to expand our mountain bike camps and clinics. I’m also going to start coaching for Carmichael Training Systems.

CN: So it’s not like the bike is going on a rack in the garage?

AD: Oh no. I’ll probably ride my bike as much as I always have, I just won’t be training. I won’t need to do intervals and I wont have to sit on the trainer for four hours when it’s snowing outside. Those are all the things I’m ready to be done with.

CN: Without elite-level racing though, where will you get your competitive fix?

AD: You’re right, I’m sure I’ll have to satisfy that craving to be competitive; I’m addicted to endorphins and adrenalin. I’ll probably still do local races. I race a lot with the men. My husband races and I can see doing the masters races with him. Or maybe even take up a different sport - do some Nordic Ski racing in the wintertime.

CN: Do you have a coaching roster built up yet?

AD: No, no. I haven’t even officially started because I wanted to get through this season first but I’ll be coaching mountain bike and road cyclists and I’m sure that will keep me plenty busy. It’s one way I’ll be able to stay involved with the sport. Because I’ve gotten so much from this sport, I don’t want to hang up my shoes and walk away. Now is a chance for me to give something back because I don’t have all the commitments of racing. I hope to still be involved with the Luna team in some capacity, maybe work with some junior women.

CN: What do you have planned to end out the season?

AD: Not much - my teammates go to Europe and I go home to train a little bit before Nationals. And then that’s it.

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